Disney /did/ actually build/license a few for E3 and the parks... never know. They may have scattered. I haven't seen one in forever. (I don't know the actual history, but I saw them in both places ).

I can tell it's a knock-off. The originals have purposely weathered side art, side panels, front coin doors and control panels. There are 8 of them here at Disney Quest and I have played on them many times and spoken to some of the folks responsible for making the official cabinets.

Although when DQ closes in a few weeks there will be some of these scattered around more, but this is how you can tell the originals from the fakes apart.

EDIT: For example, the one sold on eBay - it has a purposely faded marquee, scuffs on the control panel and coin door. The "insert coin" sticker is partially peeled away. All the "original" machines that were made for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and E3 along with other promotions had all this weathering done on purpose. So when you see one in a shop that has a beautifully new blue side panel and a 100% complete piece of side art, that's when you know it's a fake!

(Look how the Mario Bros next to it is actually in much better shape, and that Fix It Felix machine is really only 5 years old (maybe 4 depending on what it was used for)

I can tell it's a knock-off. The originals have purposely weathered side art, side panels, front coin doors and control panels. There are 8 of them here at Disney Quest and I have played on them many times and spoken to some of the folks responsible for making the official cabinets.

Although when DQ closes in a few weeks there will be some of these scattered around more, but this is how you can tell the originals from the fakes apart.

i personally would want a fake one. I would prefer the game looking minty. Although i would still buy an original if given the opportunity.

i personally would want a fake one. I would prefer the game looking minty. Although i would still buy an original if given the opportunity.

I get what you're saying, but as a huge Disney fan (and ex-cast member) I can appreciate the lengths they went through to make it look like it came from years of use in an 1982 arcade even those machines were only produced in 2012 & 2013. To me, wanting a clean Fix It Felix would be akin to cleaning all the dust off an Alamagordo Atari Dig cartridge & box, but wouldn't that be the whole point to have it as "authentic" as possible? (Oddly enough my ET cart ended up being super clean! lol)

Enough about this, let's not hijack Eduardo's thread with off-topic Disney stuff! I was just trying to make an ironic point above.

I'm confused: you can't say anything "ColecoVision" without it being some kind of trademark issue? So how did 3rd party games ever use the name "ColecoVision" in the first place? (or was there a difference back in the day, as opposed to now?)

And who is this dick who now owns the Coleco name? I want to bring him misery.

PS does this affect the SGM 4th run I just pre-ordered (with the sweet smoky case?)

You are free to use the word "Colecovision" without permission as necessary to describe your product. If you are selling a Colecovision cartridge or peripheral you have to say what it is on the packaging. It is not necessary to use the Colecovision logo so it has to say Colecovision in plain text. The current Coleco company may have trademark rights, trademarks don't have to be registered to be legal. They do have those Flashback products. As always consult a lawyer.

My concern would be with the Colecovision system bios code and other Colecovision software IP copyrights, Whoever programs Colecovision today might have copies of that and have knowledge of it. There's also the code of the Colecovision games like Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong was licensed from Nintendo but the program code belonged to the old Coleco. I'd be surprised if this current Coleco company owns the software IP copyrights. The story was that Hasbro purchased those IP assets back in the 1980s. Does anyone know who owns the old Colecovision software copyrights?

"The release will mark the first commercial release of a video game cartridge in 15 years."

Wow...so they unaware of the Nintendo DS/2DS/3DS or the Official Boulderdash Intellivision cartridge release from 2015? You can be pedantic all you want about game "cards" vs game "cartridges" but the "in 15 years "statement is outright wrong.

You are free to use the word "Colecovision" without permission as necessary to describe your product. If you are selling a Colecovision cartridge or peripheral you have to say what it is on the packaging. It is not necessary to use the Colecovision logo so it has to say Colecovision in plain text. The current Coleco company may have trademark rights, trademarks don't have to be registered to be legal. They do have those Flashback products. As always consult a lawyer.

My concern would be with the Colecovision system bios code and other Colecovision software IP copyrights, Whoever programs Colecovision today might have copies of that and have knowledge of it. There's also the code of the Colecovision games like Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong was licensed from Nintendo but the program code belonged to the old Coleco. I'd be surprised if this current Coleco company owns the software IP copyrights. The story was that Hasbro purchased those IP assets back in the 1980s. Does anyone know who owns the old Colecovision software copyrights?

Assuming a dead trademark would not automatically entitle the new registrant to the IP like the BIOS. Copyright and trademark are fortunately separate things.

Interesting you mention this...back somewhere between 1989 and 1996 when I worked for a newspaper and did video game reviews I had heard this story. I asked the PR person at Hasbro if it was true and she knew nothing about it. That doesn't mean it didn't happen, but she, at least, didn't know anything about it. They may have bought the rights and then never did anything with them or just bought them so no one else would get them thinking they might do something with them at a later date.

My concern would be with the Colecovision system bios code and other Colecovision software IP copyrights, Whoever programs Colecovision today might have copies of that and have knowledge of it. There's also the code of the Colecovision games like Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong was licensed from Nintendo but the program code belonged to the old Coleco. I'd be surprised if this current Coleco company owns the software IP copyrights. The story was that Hasbro purchased those IP assets back in the 1980s. Does anyone know who owns the old Colecovision software copyrights?